The present invention relates to improvements in a well-known "Hula Hoop" toy, and more particularly, to a toy of the type which essentially comprises a large, lightweight hoop of plastic or similar material, which, in use, is placed over the body, for example, at waist level, and which is maintained rotating and suspended above the ground by the hip-swinging movements of the player.
The original version of this type toy consisted of a single tubular material formed into the shape of a circle (or hoop), either manufactured in seamless form, or with the circle being formed by bending the manufactured tubing and fastening the two ends together by any of a number of conventional means. Since then, a variety of decorative embellishments have been added. In all cases, however, the hoop-shape, once achieved, was permanent. This was in keeping with the extremely simple nature of the toy.
However, this very simplicity caused the hoop itself to remain somewhat unwieldy when not in use, oversized and difficult to store and transport. It is also the case with conventional toys of this type that, while they are available in different diameters, no single hoop is adjustable to other than its original size.